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Thomas Leichmann
| cityofbirth = Gelsenkirchen | countryofbirth = West Germany | dateofdeath = | cityofdeath = | countryofdeath = | height = | position = Goalkeeper | currentclub = | clubnumber = | youthyears = 1987-1996 | youthclubs = VfL Bochum | years = 1996-2002 2002-2016 | clubs = Rivergate Bonneville United | caps(goals) = | nationalyears =1995 | nationalteam = Germany (U17) | nationalcaps(goals) =2 (0) | manageryears = | managerclubs = }} Thomas Leichmann (born December 4, 1978) is a retired German footballer who played as a goalkeeper, most notably for Bonneville United in the SGFA's League A. After moving to St. Gregory as an 18 year old when he signed with then-second division club Rivergate, Leichmann led that team to League A before joining Bonneville United six years later. His 14 seasons with United yielded five League A championships, two SGFA Cup titles and five victories in the SGFA Shield. He is also a six-time League A Goalkeeper of the Year winner and regarded by many as the best at his position in the history of professional football in St. Gregory. Early life and youth career Leichmann was born in Gelsenkirchen, one of four children. He grew up supporting the local club, Schalke 04 but was turned down by the club when he tried out for their youth academy. Club career Rivergate Leichmann arrived in St. Gregory in the summer of 1996, signing as an 18 year old with Rivergate, then in League B. With Leichmann in net, Rivergate finished top of League B and achieved promotion to League A for the first time. Leichmann's first exposure to many fans in St. Gregory was during the 1997 SGFA Cup Final against Bonneville United, when he conceded a goal to Mikhail Kravets from 30 yards out inside the first minute of the match. United went on to win 2-0, however Leichmann was resilient and made several important saves later in the match. For a while, Rivergate's local newspaper, The Gatekeeper, referred to Leichmann by the nickname the Wall. Leichmann expressed a strong dislike for this nickname as it evoked images of the Berlin Wall. The Gatekeeper eventually issued an apology and came up with the nickname the Teutonic Tower, which Leichmann accepted. Bonneville United Towards the end of the 2001-02 season, Bonneville United were rumored to be pursuing Leichmann to replace the retiring David Jackson. On August 5, 2002, Leichmann signed a five-year deal with United. On June 9, 2015, Leichmann announced that the 2015-16 season will be his last as a professional, and that he had made the club aware of the decision before the conclusion of the previous season. United played a testimonial friendly match for Leichmann on July 25, 2015, against his boyhood club, Schalke. Schalke won the match 1-0. Leichmann's last match for United was the 2016 SGFA Cup Final on May 28, where he came on as a substitute late in the second half and saw out the final minutes as United defeated Swifton Athletic 4-1. The following day, he made his retirement official. International career Leichmann earned two caps for Germany at under-17 level but was not called up to the senior national squad. He claimed to have been offered several times to adopt Gregorian nationality in order to represent the St. Gregory national team, but turned down those offers. Personal life Leichmann has maintained his German citizenship throughout his life and career in St. Gregory. He has been a permanent resident of the United States (i.e., a green card holder) since 1999. Category:Player pages Category:Bonneville United F.C. players Category:Rivergate F.C. players Category:SGFA All-Stars players Category:People from Germany Category:Retired players